Deliverance is your Inheritance

 Chapter 1

DELIVERANCE IS YOUR INHERITANCE

 

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that

they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

—JOHN 10:10

 

MOST PEOPLE THINK of salvation as being saved from sin so you can go to heaven. Jesus did save us from sin and the penalty of sin, but salvation means much more than that. Salvation also means to be delivered, rescued, protected, and set free. The word deliverance is often derived from the Greek terms sōzō and sōtēria. They mean to save, rescue, and deliver, and to be rescued from danger, destruction, and

peril.¹ Deliverance is a lifesaving ministry. It saves you from torment, bondage, destruction, death, sickness, sadness, depression, and so much more. Scripture says the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Demons will destroy some one’s life unless the person is saved, or delivered, from the power of the unclean spirit.

 

In addition to being preserved from danger or destruction, biblical deliverance includes the idea of being restored to a state of safety, soundness, health, and well being. So one of the results of deliverance is that you’re made whole. When you’re rescued from danger, rescued from evil spirits, you’re made whole. You’re healed.

 

You’re brought back to a place of safety, soundness, health, and well-being. This is really what the Bible is about—bringing healing, deliverance, and salvation. I don’t teach on deliverance so that people can become enamored with demons. Deliverance is part of your salvation. It’s to be rescued, made whole, and

brought back into a place of peace. This is why deliverance is such an important ministry in the body of Christ. There are so many people who need deliverance from tormenting spirits that cause their lives not to be whole. Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Part of having the abundant life is deliverance—being rescued and saved from things that are tormenting you.

 

DO YOU NEED DELIVERANCE?

 

All of us need deliverance from time to time. There are no exceptions. As we grow in the Lord and in our discernment, we can begin to understand when we need spiritual victory in certain areas of our lives. Many times as believers we can sense hindrances in our lives that keep us from living fully in the Spirit. Deliverance is an ongoing process in the life of a believer. It is a gift to us from God to keep us from

being tormented by the enemy and living in our own cycles of bondage. In their book Pigs in the Parlor, Frank and Ida Hammond named seven areas of our lives that show signs that we may need deliverance.

 

1. Emotional problems

2. Mental problems

3. Speech problems

4. Sexual problems

5. Addictions

6. Physical infirmities

7. Religious error

 When these problems begin to surface in our lives, we may feel depressed, rejected, separated from God, or unsuccessful. This is what the enemy wants. But we have the help of the Holy Spirit, who can reveal to us the areas in which we need to be set free. We are also instructed to use our authority against the enemy and cast him out, ending his reign in our lives. (We will discuss our authority as believers in the next chapter.)

 

HOW DEMONS GAIN ACCESS

 All demons that are operating in your life have legal, biblical grounds. They may not torment at will. But if demons have legal grounds, then they have the right to remain. This is why we must be aware of common doors and avenues demons use to enter a person’s life.

Active participation in sin, including alcohol, drugs, sexual sin, and occult involvement, are doorways for demon spirits to enter. Certain kinds of books, literature, music, and movies also provide avenues for demons to enter; occult reading materials and pornographic movies and literature are some examples.

Parents who are involved in sin open the door for demons to attack their children, and demons can enter children in the womb through curses. (Salvation at an early age will destroy much of the enemy’s plans for the child’s life.) Traumatic events such as accidents and abuse can also be doors for demonic influence.

Curses also provide legal grounds for demons to enter through the bloodline and operate in the family. And ungodly soul ties can also be doors for demonic habitation.

 

EXPOSING THE ENEMY

 Demons are good at hiding, and if they are not detected, they will remain safe in their place of residence. When you begin to identify the activity of demon spirits, it is amazing how many devils you may end up casting out.

 

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. —EPHESIANS 6:12, KJV

 Notice that evil spirits are called “rulers of the darkness of this world.” This means their authority is dependent upon the amount of darkness present. The more spiritual darkness and ignorance exist, the more they can rule in that area. Identifying demons is destructive to their kingdom because it brings light into the situation. Identification destroys their cover of darkness. It brings them out of hiding and exposes them.

 

I have heard some say you don’t have to call demons by their different names.  “Don’t talk about the devil. Just ignore him and keep your eyes on Jesus.” This sounds good, but it is exactly what demons want you to believe. I have found that churches that won’t teach on deliverance and demons or about the different kinds of evil spirits don’t usually cast out many devils. This, again, allows demons to hide under the cover of darkness because they are not being identified and called out.

 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. —EPHESIANS 5:11–13, KJV

 These verses explain what we are doing when we identify evil spirits. We are reproving them. The Greek word for reprove means to expose.³ Things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light. We are causing those evil spirits that are hiding and ruling under the cover of darkness to be exposed and made manifest.

 Demons feel that if they can hide, they will escape being destroyed. They behave much like the five kings in the Book of Joshua who were opposing Israel.

 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.… Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.…And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them,

and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. —Joshua 10:16–17, 22, 26, KJV

 When Joshua found out where these kings were hiding, he brought them forth and destroyed them.

CALL IT OUT!

 It is amazing how many ministers will not use these two words: come out! (See Mark 1:25; 5:8; 9:25.) You need to use these words if you are ministering deliverance. Jesus did not say, “Come off.” He said, “Come out.” We are not casting demons off but out. This may seem trivial, but many people think Christians can have demons on them but not in them.

 Mar 1:25  And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 

Mar 5:8  For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 

Mar 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 

 

Believers are spirit, soul, and body. Demons can occupy a believer’s soul (mind,  will, and emotions) and physical body but not a believer’s spirit. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”(John 3:6). From these words we see that your human spirit is the part of you that is born of the Holy Spirit. But what about your soul and body?

 

Although Christians don’t have demons in their born-again, recreated spirits, many times they can and do have demons in their souls or physical bodies. These areas of a believer are being progressively sanctified and preserved blameless (1 Thess. 5:23). Receiving this revelation is the first step toward receiving your deliverance and helping others get free. Don’t fall for the lie that Christians can’t have demons. That is what the devil wants you to believe. If you don’t believe you need help, you won’t seek any—even though you may know from experience there is something in you that is driving and controlling you. Demons can and often do hide in the following areas.

 1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 Emotions

Spirits of hurt, rejection, anger, hatred, rage, sadness, and grief can all dwell in the emotions. There are also spirits that can block and bind up the emotions.

 Body

Different parts of the body can be dwelling places for certain kinds of spirits. For example, stubbornness and rebellion can lodge in the neck and shoulder area. Spirits of lust can dwell in any part of the body that has been yielded to sexual sin.

 Speech

Evil spirits that manifest through the tongue are often hiding in the heart, because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). Spirits that can hide in the heart include bitterness, lust, pride, fear, hatred, greed, and unbelief.

 Appetite

Addiction spirits to food, alcohol, and drugs can be in the appetite, causing the person to have compulsive desires in these areas. Addiction spirits can also dwell in the mouth (taste buds), throat, and stomach area.

 Sexual character

Spirits of lust, perversion, adultery, and fornication will invade and seek to control a person’s sexual character. Along with sexual sin come guilt, shame, and condemnation.

DELIVERANCE BRINGS REST

 Deliverance from demons will bring you into rest. Rest is peace (shalom) and prosperity. Peace is an all-inclusive word that encompasses prosperity, safety, health, protection, fruitfulness, and abundance. According to the Hebrew definition, we can substitute the word prosperity with shalom (peace).

If you call yourself a child of God but you don’t experience peace and rest and your life is surrounded by a lot of strife and confusion, there’s something wrong.

 

You need to be made aware of who you are in Christ, the authority He has given  you, and the arsenal of weapons He has equipped you with to fight and win back your peace. Peace is your right as a child of God. Religion has conditioned us to believe that life should be full of trouble and that one day, by and by, we will go to heaven; then we will have peace and rest from all our enemies. Peace and rest are not only for heaven but also for the here and now on the earth. They are not coming one day. They’re here, and they’re yours. You can have prosperity and live in safety and not be tormented by devils. You

can walk in the blessing of God. That’s the guarantee of His covenant of peace. It belongs to the saints of God. All we need to do is exercise our authority.